1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved magnet assembly, and more particularly, to a magnet assembly especially useful as a filtering device or as a filter cartridge magnetic attachment for magnetically collecting metallic particles within a filter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The devices disclosed herein are improvement devices relating to the subject matter set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,024, incorporated herein by reference, by the same inventor. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,024, a number of cylindrical magnets are embedded in a heat sink, and the combination of the cylindrical magnets and the heat sink is strapped onto the outside of an oil filter cartridge. The magnetic lines of force of the cylindrical magnets exert their influence through the wall of the oil filter cartridge and attract metallic particles present in the oil inside the oil filter cartridge. As a result, those attracted particles stick to the inside wall of the oil filter cartridge and are prevented from circulating in the oil.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide magnet assemblies that increase the magnetic lines of force so that the magnet assemblies exert greater attractive force on the metallic particles present in the oil inside the oil filter cartridge. As a result, with the magnet assemblies of the present invention, the metallic particles present in the oil both stick to the inside wall of the oil filter cartridge and are prevented from circulating in the oil with greater force and effect.
In addition, with the present invention, the improved magnet assemblies are made from modular components. As a result, the improved magnet assemblies can be made in a wide range of sizes and strengths simply by combining the modular components as desired.
In conjunction with the modular components of the present invention, the modular components are provided with means to bind the modular components together to form a secure magnet assembly unit.
As mentioned above, the filter cartridge magnetic attachment disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,024 provides cylindrical magnets embedded in a heat sink. In this respect, the heat sink with the embedded cylindrical magnets forms a heat-sink-magnet module. It would be desirable to both keep and improve upon the beneficial characteristics of the heat-sink-magnet module set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,024. To do so, it would be desirable to employ the heat-sink-magnet module in conjunction with the modular components of the present invention.
Thus, while the foregoing prior art indicates it to be known to use a filter cartridge magnetic attachment, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a filter cartridge magnetic attachment which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) provides magnet assemblies that increase the magnetic lines of force so that the magnet assemblies exert greater attractive force on the metallic particles present in the oil inside the oil filter cartridge; (2) can be made in a wide range of sizes and strengths simply by combining modular components as desired; (3) is provided with means to bind the modular components together to form a secure magnet assembly unit; and (4) employs a heat-sink-magnet module in conjunction with the modular magnetic components. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique filter cartridge magnetic attachment of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.
To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, briefly described, provides a filter cartridge magnetic attachment that includes a carrier member which includes magnet-reception channels, and carrier-embedded magnets received in the magnet-reception channels. A top modular magnet/shunt array is located on a top side of the carrier member, and a bottom modular magnet/shunt array is located on a bottom side of the carrier member. The filter cartridge magnetic attachment is mounted on a oil filter cartridge and separates metallic particles out from the oil that circulates through the oil filter cartridge.
The carrier-embedded magnets include a first directional orientation carrier-embedded magnet which includes a positive pole end and a negative pole end. The carrier-embedded magnets also include a second directional orientation carrier-embedded magnet which includes a positive pole end and a negative pole end. The first directional orientation carrier-embedded magnet and the second directional orientation carrier-embedded magnet are oriented in parallel, and the positive pole end of the first directional orientation carrier-embedded magnet is co-directional with the negative pole end of the second directional orientation carrier-embedded magnet.
Each of the top modular magnet/shunt array and the bottom modular magnet/shunt array includes cylindrical magnets, and shunt blocks are positioned at longitudinal polar ends of the cylindrical magnets. The shunt blocks of the top modular magnet/shunt array can include rounded shunt ends.
Each of the cylindrical magnets in each of the top modular magnet/shunt array and the bottom modular magnet/shunt array includes a positive pole end and a negative pole end. The cylindrical magnets are aligned in parallel with the respective positive pole ends and the respective negative pole ends placed side by side.
The shunt blocks includes wire-reception channels. Assembly binding wire is received in the wire-reception channels. The carrier member can be comprised of a heat sink. The cylindrical magnets have an end diameter, and the shunt blocks have a shunt height which is approximately equal to the end diameter. The shunt blocks can are cubical shunt blocks.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a magnet array apparatus is provided which includes at least one top modular magnet/shunt array, at least one bottom modular magnet/shunt array, and at least one first directional orientation carrier-embedded magnet and at least one second directional orientation carrier-embedded magnet magnetically connected between the top modular magnet/shunt array and the bottom modular magnet/shunt array.
In another magnet array, the top modular magnet/shunt array includes two cylindrical magnets and two shunt blocks, the bottom modular magnet/shunt array includes two cylindrical magnets and two shunt blocks. A pair of first directional orientation carrier-embedded magnets are positioned between one shunt block of the top modular magnet/shunt array and one shunt block of the bottom modular magnet/shunt array, and a pair of second directional orientation carrier-embedded magnets are positioned between other of said two shunt blocks of the top modular magnet/shunt array and other of said two shunt blocks of the bottom modular magnet/shunt array.
In another magnet array, the top modular magnet/shunt array includes three cylindrical magnets and two shunt blocks, the bottom modular magnet/shunt array includes three cylindrical magnets and two shunt blocks. A set of three first directional orientation carrier-embedded magnets are positioned between one shunt block of the top modular magnet/shunt array and one shunt block of the bottom modular magnet/shunt array, and a set of three second directional orientation carrier-embedded magnets are positioned between the other of said two shunt blocks of the top modular magnet/shunt array and other of said two shunt blocks of the bottom modular magnet/shunt array.
For a general magnet array, in accordance with the invention, the top modular magnet/shunt array includes N cylindrical magnets and two shunt blocks. The bottom modular magnet/shunt array includes N cylindrical magnets and two shunt blocks. A set of N first directional orientation carrier-embedded magnets are positioned between one shunt block of the top modular magnet/shunt array and one shunt block of the bottom modular magnet/shunt array. Also, a set of N second directional orientation carrier-embedded magnets are positioned between other shunt block of the top modular magnet/shunt array and other shunt block of the bottom modular magnet/shunt array.
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will be for the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining a number of preferred embodiments of the invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved filter cartridge magnetic attachment which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved filter cartridge magnetic attachment which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved filter cartridge magnetic attachment which is of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved filter cartridge magnetic attachment which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such filter cartridge magnetic attachment available to the buying public.
Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved filter cartridge magnetic attachment which provides magnet assemblies that increase the magnetic lines of force so that the magnet assemblies exert greater attractive force on the metallic particles present in the oil inside the oil filter cartridge.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved filter cartridge magnetic attachment that can be made in a wide range of sizes and strengths simply by combining modular components as desired.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved filter cartridge magnetic attachment which has means to bind the modular components together to form a secure magnet assembly unit.
Even another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved filter cartridge magnetic attachment that employs a heat-sink-magnet module in conjunction with the modular magnetic components.
These together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.